HOUSEHOLDERS in North Yorkshire are being warned not to do business with doorstep callers, after a couple in their 90s were persuaded to pay more than £4,000 for a bed which they did not need and which was worth only a fraction of that amount.

The elderly couple, from the Whitby area, received an unsolicited telephone call and agreed a home visit. The salesman who attended persuaded them to buy a specialist bed.

The salesman even completed the cheque for them, but did not give them any paperwork nor advise them of their cancellation rights.

Luckily, the couple's relatives stepped in and were able to cancel the cheque before it was cashed.

Trading Standards officers investigating the incident found that similar beds could be bought locally for about £1,000. A doctor also advised that the bed was neither necessary nor suitable for the couple.

Stuart Pudney, head of North Yorkshire County Council's trading standards and regulatory services, said: "We receive these type of complaints with alarming regularity.

"Surveys have shown that these are only the tip of the iceberg, as most people don't telephone us or the police to complain.

"The advice is clear - do not deal with businesses who cold call either by telephone or at the door.

"They are never a good deal and the salespeople are highly trained to pressurise, particularly older people, into making a quick decision."

Coun John Dennis, the county council's executive member for trading standards, said: "This is quite shocking and shows why the county council is taking such an active role in trying to get legislation to control doorstep selling."

Updated: 08:48 Monday, May 12, 2003